


Heritage

by superemeralds



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games)
Genre: Dealing With Loss, Gen, Making peace, Positive Vibes - Freeform, anyways this is about shadow learning about stuff, he makes an appearence but only minor.........., i mean rouge too but she talks more, idk man this is just indulgence, why the FUCK does this freeform shit happen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2019-08-31
Packaged: 2020-10-01 00:43:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20456273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/superemeralds/pseuds/superemeralds
Summary: Shadow finds out about a mysterious address passed to him by Maria in the distant past.He decides to venture to this destination to piece together the last puzzle piece of his past and make peace with it once and for all.





	Heritage

“I think this belongs to you.”

Rouge handed Shadow an old scrap of paper that seemed pretty drenched. It was half falling apart.   
Peculiar about this paper was, though, that it was bound together by a blue ribbon.

“This is…!” Shadow couldn’t believe his eyes. This was Maria’s.

“Did a whole lot of digging in GUN files while GUN was busy fighting those monsters and keeping cities save. This was really hard to get ahold of, but it’s the least I could do after what we found out last year.” She gave him a weak smile. “We’re really lucky it was in one of the deepest levels on Prison Island, so it survived that time when we blew it up.”

“Right…” Shadow didn’t remember it himself, but he let Rouge retell everything that happened in the time between his reawakening and the memory loss through Eggman.   
Shadow didn’t really remember much of anything, most of his past he only knew because people had told him. Most of all Eggman, Black doom and the GUN Commander.   
However, for the past year Shadow learned more about his past, and who Maria really was, through a very important discovery he made on the ARK after defeating Black Doom.

He took the note in his own hands and carefully opened it to see the contents within.

“Schönfeldweg 7, 73261 Sichelheim im Blauwald, Geronia, Spagonia   
Unser zu Hause ist dein zu Hause, Shadow.   
Du bist ein Robotnik, sie werden dich sicher herzlich aufnehmen!!!”

“Do you know what this says? I tried running it through a translator but it didn’t understand the handwriting.” Rouge peeked into the note and waited expectantly. She was very curious as to what exactly this note meant. Literally, but also emotionally, for Shadow.

“Yes.”Shadow had not heard or spoken German in a long time, but he knew exactly what this was. He had to go, as soon as possible.”If anyone asks for me, I’m out of commission for the next few days.”

“This doesn’t answer my question!” Rouge protested, though she knew Shadow would probably say, or at least think to himself, that “yes” is a valid answer to her “yes or no” question.

“It’s an address. I’ll be leaving now.” he bound the ribbon with the note on his wrist. “Alone.”

Rouge rolled her eyes. He was doing this mysterious guy act again. “Can I at least know where you’re headed, so I don’t have to worry about you?”

“Spagonia. Don’t track me, though.” He paused.“I promise I’m not running into throuble. This is a “past” thing.” He looked at the ribbon on his wrist. “The note was given to me by Maria.”

Rouge formed an “oh” with her lips, didn’t let it audibly slip, though. This explained everything. “Well… call me if you change your mind about wanting to be alone. You know I’ll find a way to be there for you as fast as possible.”

“Yes I know, and I appreciate it.” Shadow laid a hand on her shoulder as he passed her. “You’re the best friend anyone could wish for, Rouge.”   
She laid her hand on his. There was nothing more to be said. Shadow had to do this, to finally make peace with his loss.

Shadow packed a small backpack with his essentials: a journal, his phone, a bunch of pens and his wallet.   
He’d have used one of GUN’s planes, but he felt more comfortable with them not knowing where he was headed. Therefore, he asked Sonic if he could lend his plane. It was more environmentally friendly anyways, as it ran completely on the power of the chaos emerald, while public transport was still heavily reliant on fossil fuels.   
Recently, Shadow had caught up on the phenomenon of climate change, and decided it went against Maria’s wish to save the planet if he didn’t try to keep his environmental footprint as small as possible.

Sonic happily agreed to fly over with him, as he could use a change of scenery because he was getting bored. Shadow accepted the proposal under the condition that Sonic would wander off on his own, without following him, but had to meet him again in three days to fly back.

Sonic just enjoyed how open Shadow had gotten to accepting help and spending time with other people. It was a nice change from the moody confused revenge-driven Shadow he met two years ago.

Once landed in a town in Geronia that was a comfortable running distance from Shadow’s destination, Sonic held his word and ran off on his own. Shadow waited a little, then also took off by himself.   
The landscape had a lot of hills that would soon become mountains covered in woods. Running at full speed was a bad idea in this environment, so he took his time and used it to take in the landscape and the cultural architecture of the towns he passed.   
Everything was so different from what he was used to in the UF, but he immediately felt much more at home here walking along those stone houses with wooden beams and roofings that were made in enormous detail, but were yet so simple.   
Another detail he noticed was the flowers everyone had on their window sills. Not many people in the city bothered to put them up and care for them.

The further up Shadow got, the more into the forest areas he got. There were cows and goats on the meadows at the edge of the forest, and farm houses here and there.   
It was idyllic and peaceful.

While Shadow was hiking along a forest trail, standing in a clearing that allowed him to look down the mountain, he saw that there was a lake not too far away. Listening to the wind in the leaves and the animals of the wilderness, feeling the warm sunshine through the leaves while still standing in the cool shade, hearing the gentle crunch below his feet as he shifted his weight or took a little step to the side. If he tried hard enough he could even hear a gentle small waterfall in the distance.   
This very moment he decided to build himself his own house in a place like this. Far away from GUN, far away from anyone who could bother him. Just him and the nature he swore to protect.

He almost forgot about the Robotnik residence. The next town after this one would be the one. He started getting a little nervous. What if Maria’s relatives were opposed to welcoming a “mobian” to their family. The only people that considered him to be a true Robotnik were dead. He was lucky that the Commander allowed this last name, even if it was just a necessity when making him a legal citizen, as he would otherwise be considered a “criminal” for being an “illegal immigrant” from space.   
Now that he thought about it, he could ask if he met requirements for additional citizenship of Geronia. It would surely be useful somehow. Though, if he was honest with himself, he didn’t understand what those citizenships were useful for, beyond countries alienating people born elsewhere and making it easier to deny resources.

He didn’t get to continue his thought as he arrived at his destination. The house was much bigger than originally anticipated. It was very old, but very well kept. Plants were growing along the wall to the south and the house was generally surrounded by nature. The next neighbors were quite a few meters away.

The doorbell label still read Robotnik. Shadow let out a sigh of relief.   
He hesitated, but then he looked at the ribbon on his wrist and pressed the bell with determination. He prepared to be as polite as possible, if necessary. It was important to make a good impression on these people so he could discover more about Maria’s past and to an extend, his own past.

An older woman opened the door, and looked around confused, not noticing Shadow standing below her.

“Ahem.”

She was surprised by the sound but looked down at the black hedgehog. She spoke german. “Oh… oh? Who…?” She looked very confused and unsure. She closed the door between them a little.

“I’m Shadow the hedgehog. I have received this address from Maria Robotnik many years ago.” He removed the ribbon and revealed the note. As the woman opened the door a little more again he handed it to her.

“Maria…” the woman thought for a minute. “She was my half-sister.” She looked at Shadow. “What relation do you have with her? You know she’s long dead.”   
Shadow took a breath.”She was a sister to me. It’s a long story, but we grew up together until… The incident happened.” He looked down. It was classified information, but that wasn’t what bothered him, it was the emotional weight of guilt that he felt for her death.   
She waited for a few seconds and then opened the door, signing for Shadow to come in.

He nod in return and entered, taking off his shoes at the entrance and following the woman to the living room.   
Following suit, he sat down on the couch.   
“Do you want tea?” the woman asked as she grabbed her cup she must’ve been drinking before Shadow arrived.

“No thanks.” He simply replied.

“Fine.” She sat down opposite to him. “What business brings you here?” She was skeptic, but that ribbon was without fail Maria’s.

Shadow shared a toned down version of his past with Maria and asked if the woman had known anything about Maria first hand. She shook her head.    
“Sorry, I was adopted into the family after Maria had already left for the ARK. My father saved me and my mother by marrying her and hiding her truth in the time shortly before the conflicts in this country escalated into a war.”    
Shadow decided not to ask any further questions. He waited patiently for the woman to decide for herself if she wanted to share more.   
“My father was often very sad about her, I was some sort of distraction at the time. I’m sure he loved me, but it was quite the challenge to live up to her.”

“Can you tell me something about how she was like?” Shadow insisted.

“My father described her as stubborn but gentle free spirit, who was incredibly clever for her age. She loved nature and sciences, but was also very interested in the arts and music.” She smiled weakly. “As said, hard to live up to.”   
She slowly stood up and walked towards a bookcase. At the top row a bunch of photo albums were stacked. She removed one of them. It was blue.

“I think those pictures tell a honest story about her.” She handed it to him.

It was an album that covered most of Maria’s early childhood, when she was still in better health. Very curious and always in trouble.   
They used to have a big dog that she would often cuddle with, and she was once found sleeping in the henn’s shed.   
Maria also kept reading lots of books on rainy days and was constantly occupying the house-owned library. She learned how to play the piano and violin.

The woman suggested Shadow go upstairs to Maria’s room. It was left the way it was, as the house had more than enough rooms there was never a need to remodel it.   
It was on the top floor, having small windows here and there, but one big one at the end of the room, with a little balcony that seemed to have been attached afterwards just for Maria to look at the stars from her room.

The room had just the right balance of girly and minimalism. Her bed was overly detailed and soft, with an abundance of pillows and blankets. Her closet was very unspectacular, but she had two desks, with each one being organized to fit a certain subject; those being art and writing. She seemed to have been journaling even before coming to the ARK, as he found the same journals as the ones from up there.   
Upon closer inspection, some of them even were from the years aboard. “Where did you get these?” He asked while opening one of them and flipping through.

“GUN brought them here, declaring her “regrettably early death”.” She eyed them from a safe distance.”But as you clarified earlier, they were trying to hide the truth. I understand now why we didn’t get all of them.”

“Do you want me to bring you the other ones, once I find them?” he asked without hesitation. He had no idea if that woman was interested in her to begin with. He didn’t even know her name. But it was probably too late to ask, she would’ve introduced herself if she had thought it important.

“I’d rather have asked you if you want to take all of them with you.” She gave a dry smile.   
“The family has had a big falling out after the deal with the ARK, and it only got worse with Ivo becoming a villain.” She sighed. “I’m the last one who stays behind to take care of this place. Most of the others have changed their names.”

Shadow could understand those actions, but at the same time he also couldn’t. It seemed very childish, but he also knew of the importance of deciding to toss away a name that was given to you in shame.   
“I took on the family name in honor of my family.” he stated dryly.

“Congratulations, Shadow. This makes you the next person in line to inherit this mansion.” 

“I what…?” Shadow looked at her puzzled, catching his cool again quickly as he almost dropped the journals he just picked up. “I- wh…. I can’t accept this!”

“I insist. I’m old, there’s not much I can do to keep this place intact anymore. Once I am gone, it either will be sold to strangers who might rearrange this place, or it will stand abandoned and decay with time.” She led Shadow back downstairs, offering for him to see more of the house, but he refused gratefully.

“I’ll give it thought.” was all he could say to that. “Perhaps I should continue my journey and come back here in a few weeks time.

“That would be splendid.” The old woman clapped in her hands as she walked towards the entrance. “I take it you’re leaving now?”

“Yes, I’d like to read the journals privately. Thank you very much for your help, it is greatly appreciated.” He put on his shoes and stuffed the journals in his backpack. “It was an honour to have the pleasure with you…”

“Klara.” She opened the door for him.

“I’ll see you again soon, Klara.” he gave a nod in her direction and headed for the clearing from earlier to read Maria’s journals.

Suddenly inheriting a gigantic mansion in the middle of nowhere, as well as getting this many clues to his past… it was a little overwhelming.   
As he sat there in the grass, the late afternoon sun shining on him,he couldn’t help but feel very relieved. Maria had really been just as he imagined her to be, perhaps she was even better than what he came up with in his mind. Now he was sure, he wouldn’t blindly follow a little girl’s wish without reason. He embraces the wish of a girl who knew what was right, and fought for it.

He shared her beliefs and stood behind them.

Laying the journals aside he basked in the last sun rays of the day. He would camp here for the night, getting his head off all of those thoughts going through his head.   
Sometime soon he would return to the mansion and make a decision. But right now he just wanted to enjoy being alive.

This was the most important thing he learned from the little girl that chose not to die because she wouldn’t be allowed to life if she survived. She saved him, because she knew he was able to live for himself and so many others. 

She was the strongest person he ever met, and knowing that everything he learned about her, expected of her, was true- he was damn proud to call her his big sister.

One day he would be able to live up to her.   
One day.

**Author's Note:**

> the ending was a little rushed, as it is 2:30am  
I might come back to it at another time
> 
> expect a sequel to this


End file.
